In February of 2026, Dr. Kristy Somerville-Midgette set out to visit every single classroom in Lynchburg City Schools (LCS) before the end of her first year as superintendent. She completed her journey in May, visiting a total of 480 classes.
Along the way, she connected with students and staff and gained a deeper understanding of the work happening in our schools each day. She’ll take the insights she gained into the upcoming school year. We sat down with Dr. Midgette to hear her reflections on the experience.
LCS: Visiting every classroom—that’s an ambitious endeavor. How did you get the idea?
Dr. Midgette: I was halfway through my first year as superintendent, and time was moving fast. I hadn’t had the opportunity to spend as much time in the classrooms as I would have liked. I wanted to get to know more staff members and students personally.
So I had this idea…what if I visited every classroom? With only a few months left before summer, I wasn’t sure if we’d be able to do it, but I wanted to try. I wanted to be very intentional about it. Because I’m here for the kids and instruction, but how can I say that’s what I stand for if I haven’t seen it with my own eyes?
LCS: I imagine it helped you get to know the schools more deeply. What was the experience like for you?
Dr. Midgette: It was an incredible experience. It was a joy to connect with students and witness the amazing work our staff members are doing. I cherished the time I spent face-to-face with students, and I was touched by the way teachers welcomed me with open arms.
Spending time in the classrooms felt like coming home. I’m a teacher at heart, and I always want to keep that at the forefront of my work. At the beginning of my career, I served as a special education teacher at LCS. In my 25 years as an educator, I always joke that I’ve done every job except drive a school bus. And I’m the slowest driver in the world, so you definitely don’t want me doing that.
It’s important to me, as a leader, to regularly connect with the people I serve. To meet them where they’re at, see what their day-to-day life looks like, and learn how I can best support them. These classroom visits were the perfect way to end my first year as superintendent. I’m starting the new school year with a solid foundation of knowledge and relationships that will guide me as I strive to lead LCS to success.
LCS: What were some of your favorite moments from your visits?
Dr. Midgette: My favorite memories from last school year were made in the classroom. Some teachers even generously allowed me to help facilitate lessons. I helped students review units of measurement, identify the main idea of a text, and do arts-and-crafts activities. This definitely kept me on my toes—I haven’t done this in a few years, so it was a vulnerable experience for me, but so fulfilling. Being an active participant in classroom learning was one of my favorite parts of this journey.
Interacting with students was a huge highlight. When I visited Linkhorne Elementary, students in Ms. Nuckles’ class gifted me handmade cards featuring drawings of me. It was funny to see what I looked like through their eyes. I hung up the cards in my office, and I love looking at them every day.
There are too many sweet interactions with students to count. One from Heritage High School really stood out to me. A young lady approached me and asked, “You’re the head person, right?” I told her I was the superintendent. She looked at me and said, “That’s cool. You look like me. Girl power.” It was a really cute moment.
A group of girls at Sandusky Elementary put on a choreographed dance performance for me—I’m guessing it was a TikTok dance. Upon introducing himself, a student named Kenneth proudly announced that he broke a record at birth as the biggest baby delivered at Virginia Baptist Hospital. I read an article online about it—sure enough, he was right. It felt meaningful that students trusted me with their interests and their proudest accomplishments.
LCS: You mentioned that spending time in the classrooms gave you valuable insights. Can you say more about that?
Dr. Midgette: While visiting the schools, I had opportunities to sit down with teachers and principals. We discussed what’s working and how we can grow. Every school has a unique culture and distinct strengths and challenges. It was helpful to learn what our teachers need in terms of classroom support. I’m grateful for the candor of the staff members who shared their thoughts with me.
As a leader, my job is to ask how I can best support teachers and staff as we work toward our shared goal of student success. Part of that is asking: How can we allocate our resources to maximize efficiency? What can we change operationally to better serve our students and staff? How do we improve our spaces to ensure learning environments are comfortable and welcoming? I’m working with LCS leaders to evaluate how we can take action on the insights I gained.
This isn’t the end for me, either. Moving forward, I plan to make time in the classrooms a regular part of my schedule. It’s crucial that I and other LCS administrators frequently spend time in school buildings. I never want us to become so far removed that we don’t understand what it’s like in the schools. And I want staff, families, and students to know that they can reach out to me with their needs, thoughts, and suggestions anytime.
LCS: Your first year as superintendent has come to a close, and you’ve spent time in all 480 of our classrooms. How are you feeling?
Dr. Midgette: As I reflect on my classroom visits, I’m filled with an overwhelming sense of pride. There’s so much discovery happening in our schools—I’ve seen it for myself. Our staff and students are some of the kindest, most creative, and most dedicated people I’ve ever met. I feel honored to serve as the superintendent of Lynchburg City Schools.
Like every school division, we have our fair share of challenges. But I’m confident that together, we will continue to move toward our vision of growth, opportunity, and success. It was an incredible first year. I’m excited to dive into the next one.
